Nov 30, 2014; Orchard Park, NY, USA; Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel (2) celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the second half against the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium. The Bills won 26-10. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports
Brian Hoyer
“Physically I feel really good. You never want to see someone else doing your job. I feel like I’m ready. I think being in the NFL this long is an advantage because I’ve gone from offense to offense. I have no physical limitations in what I’m doing. I’ve always felt like this is my team when I took over last year and I don’t feel any different now. I push myself to the limit. I study as much as I can and I come out and practice as hard as I can and that’s all I can control. The thing I can control most is how I prepare and how I play and everything else is left up to other people’s decisions. And that’s the kind of business we’re in. When it comes down to it, the best player is going to play. Whoever gives the team the best chance to win, anybody would say the same thing.
Johnny Manziel
“I’m just another rookie. I’m just another guy that comes up just like any other quarterback or any other guy. I haven’t done anything here. Obviously Brian’s been here and has a good grip on the offense. I’ve been learning trial by error and piecing together things and really put everything into form. And for me that doesn’t happen overnight. I feel like there’s a lot of time left. There’s a lot of time to continue to improve and figure this thing out.”
| QUARTERBACK NAME/PLAYING STYLE | NFL EXPERIENCE | CAREER PASSING YARDS PER GAME | CAREER TOUCHDOWN-INTERCEPTION RATIO | CAREER COMPLETION PERCENTAGE | AVERAGE PASSER RATING | COLLEGE STATS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BRIAN HOYER (PRIMARILY PASSING) | FIVE SEASONS | 63.38 CAREER, 205 IN 2013 FOR THE BROWNS | 7-6 | 59.4% | 77.4 | 2,564.5 YARDS PER SEASON, 55.15% COMPLETION AND 29 TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. |
| JOHNNY MANZIEL (DUAL-THREAT) | ZERO SEASONS | 300.7 DURING TWO-YEAR CAREER AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY | 63-22 | 68.95% | 164.1 | AVERAGED 3,910 YARDS PASSING, 46.5 TOTAL TOUCHDOWNS, 68.65 COMPLETION PERCENTAGE AND 1,084.5 RUSHING YARDS PER SEASON AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY |
Prediction:
In the long run, the Browns are perhaps more set up than we actually realize. They already have a solid franchise QB in Brian Hoyer who is waiting to shine. The Browns have already showed that Hoyer is the starter and that Manziel is the automatic backup. What Manziel has to do from here is work extremely hard on his footwork, his throwing mechanics and overall being NFL-tough mentally and physically. What he also must do is be lucky; something that Manziel already has on tap. Regardless of what he does in training camp, Manziel is most likely going to be benched for the first week of the season. What Manziel needs to do is be patient and hope that Hoyer slips up in order to get that starting job. The Browns made a good choice in taking Manziel not only for his scoring potential but also as a good motivator for Hoyer to do better.
For those not familiar with Hoyer, join the club, not many people do. He started out his career as a undrafted free agent out of Michigan State. As a Spartan, Hoyer was able to pass for an average of 2,564.5 yards per season, 55.15% completion and 29 total touchdowns. After Michigan State, he went undrafted and signed with the Patriots. He then bounced around numerous teams before landing himself in Cleveland where he actually got a chance to start last season. He did pretty well too, averaging 295 yards per game with five touchdowns in those two games that he did start before tearing his ACL against Buffalo. I think that Hoyer will and should probably be the starting in 2014.
Had he not injured his knee last year, Hoyer probably could have lead this Cleveland team to a decent record. I see this season being Hoyer’s time to shine. After being a journeyman for so long, I think that 2014 is when Hoyer really establishes himself as a starting QB in the National Football League. As for Manziel, he’ll be watching from the bench for most of the season. Only reason I see for the Browns to change to Manziel is if Hoyer’s production goes down and the Browns aren’t winning any games. I think with Manziel’s supreme running ability, the Browns coaching staff could turn to him later on in the season in order to make up for a lack of offense. It is all in due time however, and ultimately, a decision to be made as the season unfolds.”